Canadian WWII veterans, ages 96 to 105, return to Apeldoorn for Liberation parade
Twenty Canadian World War II veterans, aged between 96 and 105, returned to the Netherlands this week to participate in the 80th anniversary liberation parade in Apeldoorn, despite serious concerns in recent years that their age and health would prevent such a reunion, NOS reported.
The veterans, many of whom served in the Netherlands during the final stages of the war, were transported in golf carts Sunday afternoon from monument De Naald along the Loolaan to the Oranjepark. Those unable to ride in the parade were stationed along the route.
The parade has been organized every five years since 1985. Ten years ago, organizers believed that would be the last time veterans could attend due to their advanced age. The 2020 program was already canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We really didn’t expect them anymore,” said Anita Menninga of Stichting Bevrijding ’45, which organizes the parade.
Despite health challenges and logistical hurdles, the veterans came—fewer in number but just as determined. In 2015, 57 Canadian liberators joined the event. This year, only 20 made the journey.
Jennifer MacLeod of Veterans Affairs Canada, which coordinated the trip, said the desire to return remained strong among the aging veterans. “Over the past months and years, I received many phone calls and emails from veterans who wanted to go one more time. There is a very special connection between them and the people of the Netherlands,” MacLeod said. “Many had long-standing friendships, some of which began during the liberation and others during visits in the years afterward.” Photos from April 1945 of Canadians with residents of Apeldoorn were displayed during the event, emphasizing the historical connection between the soldiers.
The veterans were subject to medical screening before departure. Even then, two men had to cancel at the last moment due to health problems. Among them was 104-year-old Edward Stafford, who had been recovering from pneumonia.
Stafford, who joined the army at 20 and served in England, Italy, and the Netherlands, had hoped to visit the grave of his best friend at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek one more time. “He is very disappointed that he couldn’t be there,” his daughter Jackie told NOS. “He still remembers the house in Assen where he stayed and gave coffee to the residents after years of food shortages. He wanted to see that again, and he wanted to see a ‘dingo,’ the armored vehicle he drove throughout the war.”
Leading Sunday’s parade in a Dodge Command Car was 101-year-old Lieutenant-General Richard Rohmer, who served as a pilot in the Canadian Air Force during the war. “They simply deserve this,” said Peter Mansveld of United Pipers for Peace, a co-organizer. “Many of these men decided at a young age: ‘We’re going to help so that the people in the Netherlands can live in freedom again.’”
Alongside the veterans marched about 400 bagpipers from six countries. Mansveld said the music is not meant to solve conflicts but to help people reflect. “We’re not going to end wars with music. But by continuing to commemorate, we hope people understand the importance of freedom and realize that serious sacrifices are needed to maintain it.”
“Here in Western Europe, we’ve lived in freedom for 80 years. We have expensive cars, beautiful houses, everything—we live in luxury. But if you look at Gaza or other countries at war, it’s clear that the freedom we enjoy is a great thing but certainly not guaranteed,” he told NOS.
